With the mango season only a few months away, Pakistan is working towards maximising its exports to the European market, aiming to increase the number by more than 40% over the previous year.

A senior official at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said arrangements have been made to meet the target.

“We’ve made the arrangements for exporting 120,000 tons this year compared to the previous year when we exported 90,714 tons,” said the official.

This year, Pakistan will face strict competition from India, one of the world’s largest mango exporters, in tapping the European market. This comes after the EU lifted the import ban on Indian mangoes in January this year.

Brussels had outlawed Indian mangoes in May 2014, stating that it had found pests that could have harmed European crops in 207 Indian consignments of fruits and vegetables.

But, an inspection by the EU found that India has since tightened controls and also promised corrective measures.

“The measures will allow the import of mango before the start of the next import season in March 2015,” the European Commission said in a statement.

Last year, Pakistan’s mango demand was comparatively high in the European market due to the EU ban on Indian mangoes.

During 2014, the total mango export of Pakistan was recorded at 90,714 tons after clocking in at 61,484 during 2013. “We have established a number of hot water treatment facilities for mangoes to ensure pest-free export to our clients,” said the official.

The official said that in 2013, there were 238 consignments that did not meet EU’s quality standards before the number dropped to just two in 2014.